On Veteran's Day this year, country star John Rich re-released his song called “The Man” to honor WWII veterans. Rich also wants the song to be a reminder to young people that “freedom is earned and not inherited.”
The music video starts out with Rich at a bar taking a shot. Then it shows him getting ready to play his song for actual veterans who have served for our nation. Supposedly the men in the video were veterans who served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraqi Freedom and Desert Storm and represented “all the major conflicts we’ve been in since 1940.”
According to the description on YouTube, Rich wrote the song about his Grandfather’s service in WWII but it's dedicated it to all veterans.
Though it was originally released in 2009 as part of his “Son of a Preacher Man” album, the new version is part of his “The Country Truth” album. This version has a more stripped down instrumentation and the title changed from “The Good Lord and The Man” to now just “The Man.” The new version also repeats the first verse at the end rather than ending with two sets of the chorus. Personally, I think this reaffirms how much of a sacrifice veterans make and have made.
The song begins, and now ends, talking about Rich’s grandfather who, at just 17-years-old, “was one of the millions who signed up to defend us. Long ago in 1941 when they sucker punched us in Pearl Harbor / He fought under McArthur / 17 with and army Thompson gun."
The chorus of the song goes as follows:
And if it wasn't for the good Lord and the man
There wouldn't be a breath of freedom in this land
When I see people on my tv taking shots at Uncle Sam
I hope they always remember why they can
Cause we'd all be speaking German or living under the flag of Japan
If it wasn't for the good Lord and the man
If it wasn't for the good Lord and the man
Rich’s song is a clear indicator of the gratefulness he feels towards his grandfather and those who fought for our country. “But thanks to the greatest generation / And the one's still fighting for our nation / I've never had to kill for my way of life,” the song said.
The music video also featured black and white war/military footage and you could see how much the words resonated with the veterans in the room. Honestly it was a very touching song and easily brought tears to the eyes.
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart, Rich mentioned that the song is a reminder to young people. “I often wonder if America’s youth would be willing to do what the Greatest Generation was willing to do should it come to that. Sadly, I think the answer is ‘no.’ Many of our young people think freedom is inherited and not earned,” he said.
Rich is right. So many young people live with a warped sense of reality. They live a life of entitlement and ungratefulness and have the idea that their feelings are top priority. Truthfully they’re selfish and it appears that they rarely, if ever, consider what had to be sacrificed for them to be free in this country.
With that, I’ll leave you with a final note of encouragement from Rich: “I hope this song reminds everyone of their family heroes who served, and brings a sense of American pride and honor to their hearts.”
